Lost - 03
by Cerdwyn
Summary: As Amy Potter begins her third year at Hogwarts, new problems have arrived . Wormtail has been sent to keep an eye on her, and when Amy is kidnapped, her friends suspect Draco . Can she tell them he's innocent before they do something drastic? (This is book three, I recommend reading Forgotten - 01 first)
1. Chapter 1: Wormtails' New Duty

**Chapter One**

I sat in my room, on my bed, straining to hear what the Dark Lord---my _guardian_---and Draco Malfoy---my semi-boyfriend---were talking about. I knew it wouldn't be a normal talk---I mean this is _Lord_ _Voldemort_ we're talking about---but I didn't know anything else. I continued straining my ears; and failing to hear their conversation. I gave up and flopped back onto my bed with a sigh. Draco Malfoy was staying the summer holidays here, at the Riddle House in Little Hangleton, rather then at the Malfoy Manor. I probably would have been sent to spend the holidays there again, but Mr. Malfoy was not happy with my brother, Harry Potter---or me, Amy Potter, for those of you who don't already know.

Anyway, I lay on my bed stroking my owl, Caliga, waiting for them to finish talking. And sure enough, a few minutes later, Draco Malfoy entered, looking happy, slightly relieved, confused, and almost scared. I stood, opening my mouth to ask, but Wormtail appeared at Draco's shoulder.

"He wants you now." Wormtail told me, preventing whatever I was going to ask Draco. I glared at him, but followed him out to the living room, standing slighty behind the huge armchair where the Dark Lord always was.

"What d'you want, my _Lord_?" I snapped at him. I thought I heard him laugh, although I wasn't sure.

"I don't believe you're being very faithful to me, are you? I think you've come very close to telling people." He hissed at me, almost tauntingly. In the firelight, I paled slightly. Professor Snape---my potions teacher---knew. Hastily I thought of something else. I didn't trust him, and sometimes I could swear his snake, Nagini, could pick up my thoughts, relaying them to her master. I kept silent, and he laughed again. "No, I don't believe you have been." He murmered, pausing for a moment. "Wormtail will be going to Hogwarts this year, to keep an eye on you."

"_What!?_" How was I going to be able to do anything with Wormtail tailing me? How was he _going_ to tail me? This was ridiculous, and I told him so.

"It may be ridiculous for you, but it will keep you from telling anyone." He said. I turned to storm off to my room.

"Oh, Amy?" He paused me. "Young Mr. Malfoy isn't going to tell you anything, on my orders, so don't bother asking him."

Muttering darkly to myself, I stormed to my room, collapsing onto the bed next to Draco. We both stared into space, thinking over what he had said to us.


	2. Chapter 2: Back to School, Again

**A/N: Here we are, chapter two of Lost ... I'll try and get more chapters up quicker, but I have school, and homework, and now a bunch of out of school stuff as well. I will try though! ****Cookies to all my awesome reviewers, (and no, Sam [Seagull], I am _not_ trying to make all my reviewers fat!).**

**Maxx**

**Chapter Two**

I spent the rest of the holidays in my room, except for when Wormtail called me out to get the new school books required for third year, which had been delivered---I suspect by Mr. Malfoy. Draco spent the time with me, trying to soothe my nerves. I was still angry about Wormtail being sent to Hogwarts, and most of the time Draco got my anger unleashed on him. I felt sorry for him, 'cause my dragon-lizard Spark did not approve of him, and hissed and snapped whenever he came close. Therefore Spark spent much of his time elsewhere, and I missed his steady presence on my shoulder, advising me with his sarcastic comments. I tried to make it up to him, nearer the end of the holidays. I was still fuming, but less explosively.

I suppose everyone was relieved when the holidays came to an end, and we packed our bags. Mr. Malfoy came to pick us up, apparating us both to a deserted street in central London---I supposed an alley was beneath him---walking us to Kings Cross and onto the platform. I left them as soon as I could; it was plainly obvious Mr. Malfoy was still not happy.

I boarded the train, wandering up and down to see whether Harry, Ron or Hermione were in a carriage yet. They weren't. I left my baggage down in the carriage for it, and took Caliga and Spark onto the platform again, a shoulder each. None of my friends were about, so I went and stood with Draco, and some of his Slytherin friends. Thankfully, Mr. Malfoy had already left.

"Hey, little Gryffindor!" Blaise Zabini greeted me, ruffling my hair affectionately. I grinned up at him---he was at least a foot taller then me. And, other than Draco, he was probably my favourite Slytherin. Crabbe and Goyle were too stupid for much, and Pansy Parkinson was just crazy. She hated me---I think she liked Draco, and was jealous. After all, I _was_ Gryffindor, and to make things worse, I was Saint Potters' twin sister. I imagine _that_ went down well with the Slytherins'. Aside from Draco's circle, I never had much to do with them.

"Hey, Blaise." I greeted him. "How was your holidays?"

He pulled a face. "Woulda been much better if you had been there."

I blushed, and Draco stepped closer. Blaise was always flirting, and Draco was always protective. I grinned, before seeing my brother and Gryffindor friends, and escaping, leaving Draco to lecture Blaise _again_.

Ron scowled when they saw who I'd just been with, and Hermione's mouth tightened. I sighed. I wish they'd get along, but not even I could heal the natural enmities of the two houses.

We stood around for a bit, watching everyone around us greet their friends and trading holiday tales. Well, they did; I just listened. I couldn't tell anyone anything, especially not with Wormtail spying on me. Nervously, I looked over my shoulder, as if he would have been stupid enough to stand there. I shook my head at my own folly, following my friends onto the train.

"I need to talk to you in private." Harry muttered to us as the train picked up speed.

"Go away, Ginny." Ron said immediately.

"Oh, that's nice." Ginny retorted huffily, stalking off. We set off down the corridor again looking for an empty compartment, but all were full except for one at the very end of the train. This one had only one occupant; a man sitting fast asleep next to the window. We were all surprised to see him there; the Hogwarts Express was usually reserved for students and he was the first adult we'd seen, except for the lady who pushed the food trolley.

The stranger was wearing shabby robes, barely better than what I wore on the streets. He looked ill and exhausted, and even though he seemed quite young, he had strands of grey through his light brown hair.

"Who d'you reckon he is?" Ron hissed quietly, as we seated ourselves around the compartment and slid the door shut.

"Professor R.J. Lupin." Hermione answered at once.

"How d'you know that!?" Ron was obviously surprised.

"It's on his case." Hermione pointed at the object in question, in the luggage rack above his head.

"Wonder what he teaches?" Ron mused, frowning at the new teacher in puzzlement. Hermione and I laughed.

"That's obvious." Hermione replied. "There's only one vacancy, isn't there? Defence Against the Dark Arts."

"Well I hope he's up to it." Ron muttered doubtfully. "He looks like one good hex would finish him off, doesn't he? Anyway ..." he turned to face Harry. "What were you going to tell us?"

Harry explained how Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had had an argument, what it was about, and the warning Mr. Weasley had just given him. When he finished talking, Ron looked shocked and Hermione was covering her mouth with her hands. I was playing with Spark. I didn't understand much of his explanation; Sirius Black escaping from Azkaban? Who was he, and what the hell was Azkaban?

Hermione lowered her hands, still looking scared. "Sirius Black escaped to come after _you_? Oh, Harry, you'll have to be realy, really careful. Don't go looking for trouble---"

"Don't go looking for trouble." Harry muttered annoyed. "Trouble usually finds _me_."

"How thick would Harry have to be, to go looking for a nutter who wants to kill him?" Ron asked shakily. "No one knows how he got out of Azkaban. No one's ever done it before. And he was a top-security prisoner, too."

"But they'll catch him, won't they?" Hermione asked earnestly. "I mean, they've got all the Muggles looking out for him too---"  
"What's that noise?" interrupted Ron. A faint, tinny sort of whistle was coming from somewhere. Ron glanced at Harrys baggage. "It's coming from your trunk, Harry." he stood, pulling a spinning top out of Harrys trunk. It was spinning by itself, and glowing brilliantly.

"Is that a _Sneakoscope_?" Hermione asked intrestedly, standing up for a better look.

"Yea ... mind you it's a very cheap one. It went haywire just as I was tying it to Errols' leg to send it to Harry."

"Were you doing anything untrustworthy at the time?" Hermione asked shrewedly.

"No! Well, I wasn't meant to be using Errol. You know he's not up to long journeys, but how else was I supposed to get Harry's present to him?"

Hermione sighed exasperatedly, and I tuned out of the conversation. It appeared Harry had done the same. He was watching me, a calculating expression on his face. I sighed.

'_He's trying to figure out who you live with._' Spark piped up. I sighed again, turning to face my dragon-lizard.

'_Still? Hasn't he given up yet?_'

'_Nope. He's really curious, and not intending on giving up._' He cocked his head slightly. '_He's not getting anywhere near close, though._'

'_Well that's a small blessing._'

I sighed again, and stared out the window at the flashing green scenery. Where was Wormtail?

The lunch lady came at one, and Harry and Ron roused me out of my reverie long enough to force me to eat a cauldron cake, while Hermione fussed over a giant orange furrball, sitting on a spare seat. It was eyeing Ron's pocket, where his rat, Scabbers sat.

Professor R.J. Lupin might not have been very good company, but his presence in our compartment had its' benefits. Mid-afternoon, just as it started to rain, we heard footsteps outside our compartment, and Draco Malfoy, Crabbe and Goyle appeared in our doorway.

"Well, look who it is." Draco grinned at me, pulling open the compartment door. He turned his icy gaze to Harry and Ron. "Potty and the Weasel."

Crabbe and Goyle chuckled stupidly.

"I heard your father finally got his hands on some gold this summer, Weasley." Draco continued. "Did your mother die of shock?"

Ron stood up quickly, and Harry and I followed him up. I stepped pas them to stand infront of Draco.

"Draco, stop it." I begged. He winked at me, before passing me to Goyle, who held me still, keeping me with them.

"Who's that?" Draco asked, taking the slightest step backwards as he saw the teacher.

"New teacher." Harry said, the lighest hand touching Rons' shoulder, ready to hold him back. "What were you saying, Malfoy?"

Dracos' eyes narrowed. He was smart enough to pick a fight right under a teachers' nose. "C'mon." He muttered to Crabbe and Goyle, who had handed me back to Draco. I smiled apologetically over my shoulder at Harry, as Draco pulled me down the corridor.


	3. Chapter 3:The Dementor

**AN: I am so sorry that it's taken this long! Please forgive me! I have been so busy, and had badbadbad writers block. So yes, my apologies, and thankyou so much to all my faithful reviewers, favourite story-ers and favourite authour-ers as well.**

**Icecream and cookies and anything you want for everyone who so much as READS this, as my humble apology ...**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the Harry Potter series ... Caliga, Amy, Spark, and the twists on the plot are all I have.**

**Chapter Three**

I spent the rest of the trip in the Slytherin compartment with Draco and Blaise, staring out the window at the wet and slowly darkening scenery. The rest of the trip passed that way; Draco and Blaise joking to each other, and me staring silently out the window. Well, most of the trip. When we must've been nearly there, the train started slowing. Blaise looked at his watch, then looked around at us.

"We can't be there yet." He said, just as the train came to a jolting stop. A few thuds indicated that luggage had not taken it well. Draco looked around at us, before standing to look out the door to see what was happening. Before he was even out of hus seat, all the lamps went out, and we were dropped into darkness. I heard him drop back into his seat, no longer being able to see anything. We had a moment of conversation, speculating what was happening. Broken down? Something on the tracks? Missing tracks?

Before we could come to a conclusion, the door slid open, and we all turned our heads to look at the thing in the doorway. All we could see was a deeper blackness, as if whatever it was drew in what light we had left. Then it drew in a rattling breath, and then the warmth disappeared too. Cold stole over us, settling like a blanket. The cold went further than skin deep, right into our bones, right into my heart. Memories of living cold and hungry on the streets of Little Hangleton rose, followed by the painful memories of being tortured by the Dark Lord, and Mr. Malfoy. Of having to watch as Professor Quirrel taunted my brother, leaving him to the faint grasp of the same Dark Lord. And then memories of a flash of green light, and Mr. Bryce dropping to the floor, eyes wide and staring, dropping to the floor dead. And then an image I had only seen in dreams, always forgotten the next morning, of the same green light, and voices, a woman screaming ...

I sat in a half stupor, cold, cold images flickering through my brain for so long, how long I never knew. I never fainted, I never moved. Apparently, I looked as if I was asleep, but for the fact that my eyes were open, staring unblinkingly at whatever had stood in the doorway. Whatever had brought the cold. Whatever had bought those memories.

Draco was kneeling infront of me, watching me with concern, hands held behind his back. I wondered for a moment, before I saw Spark on my lap, hissing furiously at him, daring him to touch me. I grinned shakily, picking up the errant dragon-lizard and putting him on the seat next to me, though a moment later he was back on my shoulder.

Looking around, I noticed that we were moving again, the lights back on, swaying gently in the movement.

"Are you okay?" Draco asked worriedly, still keeping his distance. I grinned shakily again.

"Perfectly fine." I lied. "What was that?"

He shrugged. "Blaise has gone to find out ... but, it was it was horrible." He shivered, and I almost reached out for him, until I remembered Spark.

'_You okay too?_' I asked him silently.

'_Perfectly fine, you know. Thanks for remembering me._' He hissed sarcastically. I winced, and shook my shoulder reproachfully.

'_I didn't forget you, I was preoccupied. And do you know what that thing was?_'

"It was a dementor." Blaise answered my unheard question. I started, and saw him sliding down into his seat. I relaxed ... he hadn't read my mind!

'_Ooh, ooh! I know_,' Spark said, still sarcastically. '_It was a dementor!_'

I turned and stuck my tongue out at him, which he tried to bite, only just missing. Note to self: don't do that again.

"What's a dementor?" I asked the boys in the compartment. Draco looked somber, sitting back on his seat next to Blaise.

"Dementors are the guards of the wizard prison, Azkaban." Draco informed us.

"There's a wizard prison?" I asked blankly. I knew there would've been-you can't expect to keep a wizard in a human prison-but it surprised me, finding out like this.

"Yep. And those dementor things are the guards for it."

"Why are they here then? Not at the prison?" I asked.

"They're looking for Sirius Black."

We reached the Hogsmeade station without any other mishaps, hurrying up to the carriages, out of the soaking rain. I managed to slip away from the Slytherins, back to my friends, steppping into their carriage dripping wet. It was a quiet ride up to the castle.

Harry and Hermione were called away by Professor McGonagall as we walked through the Entrance Hall, leaving Ron and I to save them seats at the Gryffindor table. They missed the Sorting, and came in during the feast. We waved them over.

"What'd she want with you two?" I asked them, heading off Ron who was frowning at my empty plate.

"Oh, nothing much!" Hermione replied, grabbing potatoes. "Madam Pomfrey was there, to see if Harry was okay."

Harry muttered to himself, obviously annoyed. I noticed Hermione hadn't said what she was there for, but I let it slip.

"What?" I asked, turning to face Harry. "What happened?"

"He passed out." Ron said, grabbing more food. Harry shot him a filthy look.

"When!" I had obviously missed quite a bit while I was in the Slytherin compartment.

"When the dementor came." Hermione answered, opening her mouth to continue. She shut it quickly, though, with the look on Harry's face. That was all the information I got from them.

The rest of the night passed uneventfully: everyone eating their full, and stumbling up to their common rooms. I went straight to the dorm, collapsing into bed, asleep almost instantly.

I was back at Hogwarts.


	4. Chapter 4: Divination

**A/N: So so so so so sorry everyone for the delay ... I finally managed to get off my ar$e and update, and now I'm addicted to writing again. Hopefully, everything will be faster now. Again, sorry!**

**Chapter Four**

I missed breakfast the next morning ... I was back into the whole not-eating thing, and wasn't interested in them making me eat. I spent the breakfast time instead, looking for the North Tower, where I was to have Divination first. As expected, I was the first at class. There was a tiny landing, with no doors, but a circular trapdoor in the ceiling, with a brass plate declaring that the classroom was Divination, and Sybill Trelawney was the Divination teacher. I stared up at it for a while, til the rest of the class started arriving, looking around in confusion for the classroom til they got my point and looked up. Harry, Ron and Hermione were last up the spiral staircase, breathing heavily. Then the trapdoor opened, and a silvery ladder descended, and we all climbed up.

It was possibly the strangest classroom we'd ever had. About twenty small circular tables were crammed into the tiny, attic-like room, all surrounded by armchairs, and little pouffes. The room was lit with a red light, all the curtains closed and the lamps draped with red scarves. It was way too warm, and the fire was giving off a sickly sweet scent, as it heated a large copper kettle. Shelves running around the edges of the room were crammed with dusty feathers, candle stubs, tattered packs of cards, crystal balls and a _lot_ of teacups. Peering around, I looked for Professor Trelawney.

'_Behind you._' Spark warned me. However when her misty voice came out of the shadows, the rest of the class jumped. I suppressed a laugh, for none of them had dragon-lizards to warn them.

"Welcome. How nice to see you physical world at last." Professor Trelawney moved into the firelight, and we all saw her. She was very thin, with large glasses that magnified her eyes. She was draped in a gauzy shawl, and innumerable chains and beads around her neck, arms and fingers coated in bangles and rings. All in all, very sparkly. Spark was very impressed (he likes sparkly stuff).

"Sit, my children, sit." She said, and we all clambered awkwardly onto armchairs, or sank into pouffes. Professor Trelawney sat on a winged armchair by the fire. "Welcome to Divination. My name is Professor Trelawney. You may not have seen me before-"

I zoned out, watching the light glint off her jewellery, and little shiny objects around the room. I only zoned back in when Spark nudged me slightly. Instructions. Right.

"Now I want you all to collect a teacup from the shelf, come to me and I will fill it. Then sit down and drink; drink until ownly the dregs remain. Swill these around the cup three times with the left hand, then turn the cup upside-down on its saucer; wait for the last of the tea to drain away, then read it, interpreting the patterns using pages five and six of Unfogging The Future. I shall move among you, helping and instructing-" I zoned out again, grabbing a blue patterned teacup, and getting it filled. I drank the scalding tea, offering some to Spark, who sniffed it, then turned his nose up. Fussy creature.

I finished my tea, swirling the dregs in the bottom three times with my left hand, as instructed, before tipping it upside down. I then flicked to pages five and six, quickly scanning the omens, so I knew what I was supposed to be looking for. I flipped the cup over again, looking down at the mushy green and brown leaves in the bottom. I spotted the cross first: trials and suffering. Hmm, I thought, deciding to think about that one later. Then I saw the skull: danger in your path. Geez, my future was not looking bright ... The falcon was also in my cup: a deadly enemy. Wormtail? I wondered.

'_Or Draco Malfoy still?_' Spark added. I discarded that idea. Alongside the falcon was a sun: great happiness, according to my book. I didn't have much time to think though, I was broken out of my reverie by Professor Trelawneys' scream, and the tinkling of broken china as Neville smashed another cup. Professor Trelawney sank dramatically into a vacant armchair, her glittering hand at her heart and her magnified eyes closed.

"My dear boy-my poor dear boy-no-it is kinder not to say-no-don't ask me ..."

"What is is, Professor?" Dean Thomas asked at once. Most of the class was at this point crowded around around Harry and Ron, pressing close to Professor Trelawneys' chair to get a look at my dear brothers' cup.

"My dear," Professor Trelawney opened her eyes wide-again dramatically-and eyed Harry. "You have the Grim."

"The what?" Harry asked. He wasn't the only one who had no idea what she was talking about: Dean Thomas shrugged, and Lavender Brown looked puzzled. The rest of the class however clapped their hands to their mouths in horror.

"The Grim, my dear, the Grim!" she cried, looking shocked that he hadn't understood. "The giant, spectral dog that haunts churchyards! My dear boy, it is an omen-the worst omen-of _death_!"

Lavender Brown clapped her hands to her mouth too.

Hermione got up, moving around to the back of Professor Trelawneys' chair.

"I don't think it looks like a Grim." She said flatly. Professor surveyed her with mounting dislike.

"You'll forgive me for saying so, my dear, but I perceive very little aura around you. Very little receptivity to the resonances of the future. Unlike Miss-" she paused for a second, as if thinking. Very very hard. "-Potter. Miss Potter here. Her aura is blinding. Tell me, did you see anything in your cup?"

Flaming red, I shook my head, as Spark made an affirmative chirrup. Thankfully, Seamus Finnigan saved me. He was tilting his head from side to side, his eyes almost shut. "It looks like a Grim if you do this." He announced. Then he leaned to the left. "But it looks more like a donkey from here."

"When you've all finished deciding if I'm going to die or not!" Harry said sharply, taking everyone by surprise.

"I think we will want to leave the lesson here today." Professor Trelawney said in her mistiest voice. "Yes ... please pack away your things ..."

Pushing my book into my bag, I wondered a bit about what I'd Seen, and then what Professor Trelawney had said. If it was right. If I was able to See things. And what I had Seen. Frustrated, I shook my head, clearing it for Transfiguration. Divination was complicated.


	5. Chapter 5: Care Of Magical Creatures

**A/N: Sorry about the late update everyone, I was trying. Things got ... complicated. Thankyou for all your lovely reviews though! They made me happy :3**

**Max**

**x**

**Chapter Five**

After lunch we had Care of Magical Creatures … with the Slytherins. Hagris was standing in front of his hut, with Fang at his heels, looking impatient to start.

"C'mon now, get a move on!" He called as his class approached. "Got a real treat for yeh today! Great lesson comin' up! Everyone here? Righ' follow me!" He started off towards the Forest, and I saw panic on my classmates' faces until Hagrid turned, and led us around the edge of the trees. Five minutes later, we were standing outside a kind of paddock. It was empty.

"Everyone gather roun' the fence here!" Hagrid-_Professor_ Hagrid-called. "That's it, make sure yeh can see. Now, firs' thing yeh'll want to so is open yeh books-"

"How?" came the cold drawling voice of Draco Malfoy. I sighed slightly; would I have to keep him in check?

"Eh?" Hagrid seemed confused.

"How do we open our books?" Malfoy repeated. He took out his copy of the Monster Book of Monsters, whiche he had bound shut with a length of rope. Others took theirs out: belted shut, crammed into tigh bags, clamped together with bullclips. I took out mine, which was kept in check by Spark. My Monster Book of Monsters knew which creature was boss.

"Hasn'-hasn' anyone being able to open their books?" said Hagrid, looking crestfallen. Hesitantly, I raised my hand. The rest of the class chook their heads.

"I did."

Hagrid, who was looking a bit crestfallen, cheered up a bit at that.

"Well done, Amy!" He congratulated me. Turning to the rest of the class, he explained. "Yeh've got t' _stroke_ 'em."

"Oh, how silly we've all been!" Malfoy sneered. "We shoud've _stroked_ them! Why didn't we guess!"

"I-I thought they were funny." Hagrid said, a bit uncertainly.

"Oh, tremendously funny! Really witty, giving us books that try and rip our hands off!"

"Shut up, Amlfoy." Harry commanded quietly. Hagrid was looking extremely downcast.

"Righ' then." He said, seeming to have lost his enthusiasm. "So—-so yeh've got yer books an'-an'-now yeh need the Magical Creatures. Yeah. So I'll go an' get 'em. Hang on ..." He strode away from us, into the Forest, and out of sight.

"God, this place is going to the dogs." Draco announced loudly. "That oaf teaching classes, my father'll have a fit when I tell him-"

"Shut up, Malfoy." Harry repeated.

"Careful, Potter, there's a dementor behind you-"

"Please, Draco?" I broke in their argument, looking at them imploringly. They both sighed and rolled their eyes, glaring at each other for mimicking each other. I sighed quietly.

"Oooh!" squealed Lavender, pointing towards the opposite side of the paddock. Trotting towards us were the most bizarre creatures we'd yet seen. The had the bodies, hind legs and tails of horses, but the front legs, wings and head were of what seemed to be giant eagles, with cruel, steel-coloured beaks and large, brilliantly orange eyes. The talons on their front legs were half a foot long and deadly-looking. Each of the crestures had a thick leather collar around its neck, which was attached to a long chain, and the ends of all these were held in the vast hands of Hagrid, who came jogging into the paddock with the creatures.

"Gee up, there!" He roared, shaking the chains and urging the creatures towards the fence where the class stood. Everyone drew back slightly as Hagrid reached them and tethered the creatures to the fence.

"Hippogriffs!" Hagrid said happily, waving a hand at them. "Beau'iful, aren' they?"

I don't think the rest of the class did … but I definitely agreed with Hagrid. Once you'd gotten over the shock of seeing a half horse, half bird, you started to appreciate the Hippogriffs' gleaming coats, shanging smoothly from feather to hair, each a different colour: stormy grey, bronze, a pinkish roan, gleaming chestnut and inky black.

"So, if yeh wan' ter come a bit nearer ..." Hagrid said, rubbing his hands together and beaming around, all his enthusiasm returned. However, it was only Harry, Ron, Hermione and I who moved forward, and I was the only one who looked eager.

"Now, firs' thing yeh gotta know abou' Hippogriffs is they're proud. Easily offended, Hippogriffs are. Don't never insult one, cause it might be the last thing yeh do." He paused before continuing. "Yeh always wait fer the Hippogriff ter make the firs' move. It's polite, see? Yeh walk towards him, an' yeh bow, an' yeh wait. If he bows back, yeh're allowed ter touch him. If he doesn' bow, then get away from him sharpish, 'cause those talons hurt." Hagrid paused again, looking around his class. "Righ'-who wants ter go first?"

Most of the class backed further away in answer. The Hippogriffs were tossing their fierce heads and flexing their wings; they didn't seem to be like being tethered.

"No one?" Hagrid asked with a pleading look.

"I'll do it." Harry stepped forward. As a class, everyone took a sharp intake of breath, and both Lavender and Pavarti whispered "Ooooh, no, Harry, remember your tea leaves!"

Harry ignored them and climbed over the fence.

"Good man, Harry!" Hagrid cheered. "Right then-lets see how yeh get on with Buckbeak." He untied one of the chains, pulling the grey hippogriff away from the others and slipped off his leather collar. "Easy, now, Harry." said Hagrid quietly. "Yeh've got eye contact, now try not to blink-Hippogriffs don' trust yeh if yeh blink too much ..."

Buckbeak had turned his head, and was staring at Harry with one golden orange eye.

"That's it …" said Hagrid. "That's it, Harry … now, bow ..."

Harry gave a short bow, then looked up. Buckbeak was still staring at him … rather disdainfully now, I thought. It didn't move.

"Ah," said Hagrid, sounding worried. "Right-back away, now, Harry, easy does it-"

The Buckbeak, to everyones surprise, sank into what was an unmistakeable bow.

"Well done, Harry!" said Hagrid, ecstatic. "Right-yeh can touch him! Pat his beak, go on!"

Harry moved slowly towards the Hippogriff, reaching out his hand. Buckbeak nudged it gently, and Harry patted his beak several times. Buckbeak looked like he was enjoying it, closing his eyes lazily. The class behind me broke into applause.

"Righ' then, Harr, I reckon he might let yeh ride him!"

Harry looked rather panicked.

"Yeh climb up there, jus' behind the wing joint." said Hagrid. "An' mind yeh don' pull any of his feathers out, he won' like that …"

Harry hoisted himself up, looking uncertainly at Buckbeaks' neck infront of him.

"Go on then!" Hagrid shouted, slapping the Hippogriff's hindquarters. Twelve foot wings snapped open, beating the air around them and filling it with dust. They flew once around the paddock, and then headed back down.

"Good work, Harry!" Hagrid yelled as he landed. "OK, who else wants a go?"

The rest of the class climbed over the fece, moving cautiously into the paddock, and in groups of two or three, people were given a hippogriff, and were soon bowing nervously all round the paddock.

Malfoy and his cronies had taken over Buckbeak I saw, as I bowed for my petite black.

"This is easy." He drawled loudly. "I knew it must have been, if Potter could do it. I bet you're not dangerous at all are you? Are you, you great ugly brute?"

My little black was just bowing back when Draco's scream rent the air. I turned slightly to see Draco on the ground and Hagrid wrestling Buckbeak away from him.

"I'm dying!" Malfoy yelled. "I'm dying! It's killed me!"

"Yer not dyin'." said Hagrid, who had gone pale. He picked up Draco and ran with him up to the castle.

The little black behind me roughly nosed my shoulder for ignoring her.


	6. Chapter 6: PotionsMaster Boggart

**A/N: Yay, another update! Don't you guys just love me? XD**

**I've got school in a few days, but I'll see what I can do about another update before then ... :3**

**x**

**Chapter Six**

Draco didn't reappear in classes until late on Thursday morning, when the Slytherins and Gryffindors were halfway through double Potions. He sauntered into the dungeon with his right arm covered in bandages and bound up in a sling.

"How is it, Draco?" Pansy simpered. "Does it hurt much?"

"Yeah." He replied, putting on a brave sort of grimace. But we all saw him wink at Crabbe and Goyle when she looked away.

"Settle down, settle down." Professor Snape said idly, before continuing wandering around the class, criticising. Neville was worst off, as per usual. His potion, instead of being the bright, acid green, had turned orange.

"Orange, Longbottom?" Snape ladled some up and allowed it to drip back into the cauldron, showing it to the whole class. "Orange? Tell me, boy, does anything penetrate that thick skull of yours? Didn't you hear me say, quite clearly, that only one spleen was needed? Didn't I state plainly that a dash of leech juice would suffice? What do I have to do to make you understand, Longbottom?"

Neville was pink and trembling. He looked on the verge of tears, the poor boy.

"Please, sir." Hermione piped up. "Please, I could help Neville put it right-"

"I don't remember asking you to show off, Miss Granger." Professor Snape replied coldly, and Hermione went as pink as Neville. "Longbottom, at the end of this lesson, we will feed a few drops of this potion to your toad and see what happens. Perhaps that will encourage you to do it properly." He moved away, leaving Neville trembling in fear.

"Help me!" He moaned to Hermione.

"Hey, Harry, have you heard?" Seamus began, leaning over my brothers' brass scales. "The Daily Prophet this morning-they reckon Sirius Black's been sighted."

"Where?" Both Harry and Ron perked up, listening intently. I noticed Draco straining to listen too.

"Not too far from here." Seamus provided, looking excited. "It was a Muggle who saw him. 'Course she didn't really understand. The Muggles just think he's an ordinary criminal, don't they? So she phoned the telephone hotline. By the time the Ministry got there, he was gone."

"Not too far from here ..." Ron repeated, looking significantly at Harry. He saw Draco look away quickly though, and pursued. "What, Malfoy? Need something else skinned?"

Draco looked at me, then Harry, his eyes shining evilly. He leant towards Harry.

"Thinking of trying to catch Black single-handed, Potter?"

"Yeah, that's right." Harry replied, focusing on his potion again, not really interested.

"Of course, if it were me," Draco continued quietly, "I'd have done something by now. I wouldn't be staying in school. I'd be out there looking for him."

"What are you talking about, Malfoy?" Ron said roughly.

"Don't you _know_, Potter?"

"Know what?"

Draco laughed meanly. "Maybe you'd rather not risk your precious neck though. Want to leave it to the Dementors, do you? If it was me, I'd want revenge. I'd hunt him down myself."

"_What are you talking about?_" said Harry angrily. Just then, Snape ordered us to stop though. We packed up, washing our hands and equipment. I heard Harry and Ron talking, but didn't catch this.

"What about you, then, my sweet? Do you know?" Draco breathed tauntingly down the back of my neck. I jumped, turning to face him, glaring.

"No. What are you talking about?"

But Draco didn't answer. He just smiled and slipped away into the growing crowd as Professor Snape went to test Nevilles' potion. Thankfully, it was successful, and Trevor shrunk to a tadpole. Professor Snape didn't look very happy.

We headed off to lunch, and then our first Defence Against the Dark Arts, sitting prepared, when Professor Lupin arrived and told us to put our books away, that today was a practical lesson. Spark was just as curious as I, watching Professor Lupin closely. Aside from Professor Lockhearts' pixies, we hadn't had a practical lesson before.

"Right then. Follow me." Our teacher instructed when everyone was packed.

Interested, the class got to its feet and followed. He led us through a few empty corridors, around a couple corners and through Peeves, before stopping outside the staffroom door.

"Inside, please."  
Professor Lupin ordered us, holding the door open. The teachers' lounge was a long panelled room full of old, mismatched furniture, empty except for Professor Snape, who exited after we entered, muttering things to Professor Lupin as he left.

"Now then," said Professor Lupin as he went to stand near an old wardrobe standing alone at the end of the room. As he moved near it, the wardrobe gave an ominous shake, banging of the wall.

"Nothing to worry about," he reassured the class as a few jumped backwards and Spark hissed. "There's a boggart in there."

Most people looked as if it was something to worry about. Neville looked terrified, and Seamus eyed the door nervously.

"Boggarts like dark, enclosed spaces." He told us. "Wardrobes, the gap beneath beds, cupboards under seats-I once met one in a grandfather clock. _This_ one moved in yesterday, and I asked the headmaster if the staff would leave it to give my third-years some practice.

So the first question; what is a boggart?"

Hermione put up her hand. "A boggart is a shape shifter. It will take the shape of whatever it thinks will frighten us most."  
"Couldn't have put it better myself." Professor Lupin praised her, making Hermione glow with pride. "So this boggart sitting in the darkness within has not yet assumed a form. He does not yet know what will frighten the person on the other side. Nobody yet knows what a boggart looks like when he is alone, but when I let him out, he will become whatever each of us most fears.

This means," Professor Lupin continued, ignoring Neville spluttering in terror, "that we already have an advantage over it. Has anyone spotted it yet?"

Hermione, Harry and I had our hands in the air, Hermione bouncing up and down, Harry and I hesitantly.

"Harry?"

"Er-because there are so many of us, it won't know what shape to take?"

"Precisely." Said Lupin, and Hermione looked disappointed. "It's always best to have company when dealing with a boggart. He becomes confused. Which should he be, a headless corpse or a flesh-eating slug? I once saw a boggart make that mistake. It tried to frighten two people at once, and turned into half a slug. Not remotely frightening.

The charm to repel a boggart is simple, yet it requires force of mind. You see, what really finishes a boggart is laughter. What you need to do is force him to assume a shape that you find amusing.

We will practice the charm without our wands first. After me ... _riddikulus_!"

"Riddikulus!" said the class together.

"Good! Very good, but that was the easy part, I'm afraid. You see, the word alone is not enough. And this is where you'll come in, Neville."

The wardrobe shook again, as Neville walked forward, shaking as well.

"Right, Neville. What scares you most in the world?"

Nevilles' lips moved, but all that came out was a terrified squeak.

"Didn't catch, that sorry." Professor Lupin said cheerfully.

"Professor Snape." Neville whispered. The class laughed, and Neville smiled, slightly apologetically. Spark sneezed in distaste. Professor Lupin looked thoughtful.

"Professor Snape ... hmm ... Neville, I believe you live with your grandmother, am I correct?"

"Er-yes. But I don't want the boggart to turn into her either."

"No, no, you misunderstand me." Professor Lupin said, smiling. "Could you tell us what your grandmother usually wears?"

Neville proceeded to tell the class her outrageous outfit.

"Right then," said Lupin. "Can you picture those clothes very clearly, Neville? Can you see them in your minds eyes?"

"Yes." Neville said uncertainly.

"When the boggart bursts out of this wardrobe, Neville, and it sees you, it will assume the form of Professor Snape." Professor Lupin explained. "And you will raise your wand-like this-and cry 'riddikulus' and concentrate hard on your grandmothers' clothes. If all goes well, Professor boggart Snape will be forced into that vulture-topped hat, green dress and big red handbag.

If Neville is successful, the boggart is likely to turn his attention to each of us in turn. I would like all of you now to take a moment and think of the thing that scares you most and imagine how you might force it to look comical."

The room went quiet, and a lot of people shut their eyes. What scared me most? Hmmm ...

"Everyone ready?" said Professor Lupin. Everyone nodded, and a few rolled up their sleeves.

"Neville, we're going to back away. Let you have a clear field, all right? I'll call the next person forward, everyone back now-"

We all retreated, many backing to the walls, leaving Neville looking pale and frightened, holding his wand in front of the wardrobe.

"On the count of three, Neville!" said Professor Lupin, pointing his own wand at the wardrobe. "One-two-three!"

A jet of sparks flew from Professor Lupins' wand to the doorknob, and the wardrobe burst open. Hook-nosed and menacing, Professor Snape stepped out of the closet, staring evilly at Neville.

Neville started to back away, wand up, mouthing wordlessly. Snape was bearing down upon him, reaching inside his robes.

"R-r-riddikulus!" squeaked Neville.

A loud crack shot through the room as Snape stumbled, suddenly wearing a long, lace-trimmed dress and a towering hat topped with a moth-eaten, stuffed vulture, swinging a large red handbag.

There was a roar of laughter from the class, and even Spark made a tittering noise, which I laughed at. The boggart was pausing, looking confused.

"Pavarti! Forward!" Professor Lupin shouted.

Pavarti walked forward, her face set. Snape rounded on her, and there was another crack, and where he stood was a bloodstained, bandaged mummy, its' sightless eyes staring at Pavarti, and it began to walk towards her, feet dragging, arms rising-

"Riddikulus!"

A bandage unravelled at the mummys' feet, it became entangled and fell.

"Seamus!"

Another crack and the mummy was replaced by a woman, with floor length black hair and a skeletal green-tinged face-a banshee. She opened her mouth wide, and an unearthly sound filled the room, making the hair on the back of your neck rise up-

"Riddikulus!"

The banshee made a rasping noise, clutching her throat; her voice gone.

"Dean!"

It became a severed hand with another crack, flipping over and creeping along the floor like a crab.

"Riddikulus!"

Then a snap ... and the hand was caught in a mousetrap.

"Excellent! Ron, next!"

Ron leapt forward, and a giant spider, six feet tall and covered in hair was advancing, clicking its pincers menacingly.

"Riddikulus!" shouted Ron after a moment. The spiders legs vanished, and it fell to the floor, rolling over and over. It rolled to Harrys' feet, and he began to raise his wand, but Professor Lupin interrupted, by stepping in the way. The boggart turned into a silvery white orb hanging in the air.

"Riddikulus." Lupin ordered, almost lazily. The orb disappeared, landing on the floor as a cockroach.

"Neville, forward to finish him off!"

And with a crack, Snape was back. Neville charged forward, looking determined.

"Riddikulus!" he shouted, and we had another glimpse of Snape in his lacy dress before Neville laughed, and the boggart exploded into a thousand tiny wisps of smoke and was gone.


	7. Chapter 7: Under My Tree

**A/N: Another update! Having access to a laptop is so useful ... I so need to get one. Hmmm ... this chapter is shorter than others, but I think its good. Anyone up for AmyXBlaise? ;) Hahaha ... you has been warned.**

**Update soon ...  
**

**~x~  
**

**Chapter Seven**

The next few weeks past quietly, no more hippogriff incidents (we moved on to flobberworms) and no more boggarts (redcaps and kappas instead). Divination was normal now, no more seeing things in teacups, and Potions got worse. Professor Snape had found out about his boggart-self, and was even meaner to Neville.

Near the end of October, our first Hogsmeade visit was announced, for Halloween. I saw the notice on the board, and sighed. No one had given me any permission form to go.

"OI!" I heard Ron shout from behind me. "GET OFF, YOU STUPID ANIMAL!"

Turning around, I saw Ron trying to pull his bag away from a ball of orange fur-Crookshanks.

"Ron, don't hurt him!" Hermione was squealing. Then Scabbers went flying, and Crookshanks was straight after him.

"CATCH THAT CAT!" Ron yelled as Crookshanks took off through the common room, in between twenty pairs of legs, evading George, who lunged for him, stopping infront of an old chest of draws, furiously swiping for the rat underneath.

Ron and Hermione hurried over, Hermione picking up Crookshanks and Ron grabbing terrified-looking Scabbers.

"Look at him!" he said furiously, dangling Scabbers in front of her. "He's skin and bone! You keep that cat away from him."  
"Crookshanks doesn't understand it's wrong! All cats chase rats, Ron!"

"There's something funny with that animal. It heard me say that Scabbers was in my bag!"  
"Oh, what rubbish. Crookshanks could _smell_ him, Ron, how else d'you think-"

"That cat's got it in for Scabbers!" Ron said, ignoring the people around him starting to giggle. "Scabbers was here first, _and_ he's ill." Then he turned and marched off up and out of sight into the boys' dormitories.

Halloween came rather quickly, and I noticed Harry get more and more depressed as it approached, also unable to go to Hogsmeade. I was avoididng them however, Harry being depressed, Hermione and Ron fighting, spending time with Draco. But on Halloween morning, of course, he left with everyone else for Hogsmeade. I wandered around the castle for a bit, before going out into the grounds, sitting by the lake, under my favourite tree, the secluded willow.

So Wormtail was supposedly here. Where here? Was he watching me right now? I sighed. I hated the thought of being watched. I shifted nervously, feeling watched all of a sudden. I rested my forehead on my knees, sighing again.

"Hey, little Gryffindor, what's up?" Blaise landed next to me from in the branches. What was it with boys in these branches? Really...

"Hi, Blaise." I looked up (even more so as I was seated) at him. "You aren't at Hogsmeade?"

"Nope. Heard you weren't going, so I stayed." He sat next to me, winking. "And you even came and sat under my tree."

I shoved him playfully. "This is my tree! Go find your own!"

"Nope, I like this one. You're here anyway, why would I remove myself from the presence of such a fine lady over tree claims?"

I blushed, and shoved at him again, sticking my tongue out. He bit at it, leaving his face inches from mine. He grinned evilly, and then kissed me. He kissed me.

"Draco's going to kill me." He gloated after pulling back.

"Then ... why?" I asked in more than a little shock.

'_You two are so cute._' Spark piped in from the branches above my head.

"Because you're so adorable." He moved closer still. "Hard to resist really." He whispered in my ear, before kissing my neck.

'_Shut ... up ..._' I managed to reply. Spark purred. He still didn't like Draco, obviously.

"Blaise," I whispered, grabbing his shoulders to push him away. But he wrapped his arms around me, pulling me closer, against his chest, so my arms were trapped.

Oh. He took it the wrong way.

He kissed me again fervently, before pulling back and letting me go, disappearing from underneath my tree.

'_I think he likes you._' Spark said, after a moment of awkward silence.


	8. Chapter 8: Quidditch

**A/N: Another short chapter, but I didn't really know how to describe the end of it ... more AmyXBlaise!**

**I'll try and get at least one more chapter up before school reclaims my life tomorrow, but I can't promise anything.**

**Thankyou all so much for your reviews! I read them this morning and smiled :3**

**-Max**

**Disclaimer (cause I try and put one in every few chapters): I don't own Harry Potter, or most of the plot lines. I own Amy, Spark, and now Blaise too, as I have kidnapped him and he's in my closet with Draco =P**

**~x~  
**

**Chapter Eight**

I was just standing up to leave the Great Hall-one of the last after the Halloween feast-when the rest of Gryffindor re-entered, followed shortly by Huffflepuff, then Ravenclaw, and then Slytherin, the latter three houses looking extremely confused.

"The teachers and I need to conduct a thorough search of the castle." Professor Dumbledore told us as Professor McGonagall and Professor Flitwick shut all the doors of the Great Hall. "I'm afraid that, for your own safety, you will have to spend the night here. I want the prefects to stand guard over the entrances to the Hall, and I am leaving the Head Boy and Head Girl in charge." He turned to leave, and then paused.

"Oh, yes, you'll be needing these." He waved his wand, and the tables flew to the edges of the Hall and stood themselves against the walls. Another wave and the floor was covered in hundreds of squashy purple sleeping bags. "Sleep well." He added, closing the door behind him.

The Hall immediately began to buzz, the Gryffindors telling everyone else what had happened.

"Everyone into their sleeping bags!" Percy Weasley shouted. "Come on now, no more talking! Lights out in ten minutes!"

I started to head off towards where I saw my friends drag sleeping bags that they had gotten, but Draco and Blaise grabbed me.

"Sleeping with the Slytherins tonight, little Gryffindor." Blaise said, winking at me. The pulled me off to where their sleeping bags were, in a secluded little corner made by the tables being against the wall.

"So what happened?" They questioned me after we'd curled up in our sleeping bags.

I shrugged. "I have no idea. I wasn't there."

They looked at me incredulously. "You're a Gryffindor, and you don't even know." Blaise sighed overly dramatically, shaking his head, and Draco looked annoyed at him. I flinched slightly. Did he know? Had he guessed? Unfortunately both boys caught the flinch, as Spark muttered under his breath as I accidentally rolled on him. He crawled out and repositioned himself, hissing at me.

"Amy?" Draco asked. "You okay?"

"You seem a little distracted, Gryffindor." Blaise raised his eyebrows at me, and I glared back, but it softened in a moment. Sighing I pulled the sleeping bag over my head, refusing them. Boys.

The school talked of nothing but Sirius Black for the next few days. As I worked out, he'd _somehow_ entered the castle, and tried to force entry to the Gryffindor common room, shredding the portrait of the fat lady. She was replaced by some idiot knight (and his fat pony), who challenged everyone and changed the password more than twice daily.

The first Quidditch match grew nearer and nearer as the weather worsened. In fact, that morning it dawned stormy. I really didn't want to go out and watch it in this weather, but I had a bad feeling about Harry. After pacing the common room a bit, Spark leisurely reminded me from his cosy spot above the fire that even if I didn't need to eat, he did, and he was hungry. I sighed and held out my arm for him, going down to the Great Hall, grabbing a few bits of bacon for him and one of those small breakfast sausages for myself.

I stood at the main doors watching the rain fall, staring in the direction of the Quidditch pitch, startling slightly as lightning forked not as far away as I would've liked.

'_Spark, can you go watch him? Sit on the end of his broomstick if you have to._'

The miniature dragon looked at me worriedly, licking my cheek before taking off, letting the wind snatch him in the direction of the pitch.

And just after he'd left sight, a strong arm slipped around my waist and a warm hand over my mouth.

"And hello again little Gryffindor." Blaise whispered, pulling me off, down the stairs towards their common room.

He didn't take me to the common room, but to an empty potions classroom. Extremely out of the way.

'_Spark!_' I mentally screamed, hoping he could hear me. '_Get Draco!_'

Then Blaise swung me round and kissed me, unwillingly short-circuiting my thoughts.

I grabbed his shoulders, managing to push a bit this time, and he pulled back, looking at me quizzically.

"Blaise, I really don't think this is a good idea-"

"Me neither." He whispered, pushing me against the wall and kissing me again.

Oh, please let Draco and Spark be quick...


	9. Chapter 9: Kidnap

**A/N: Wow, my writers block is like, non-existant O.o its just like uploaduploadupload haha**

**Okae, this chapter is_ extremely_ short, but it's nescessary. Enjoy!**

**~x~  
**

**Chapter Nine**

In short; Harry is in the hospital wing after falling at least fifty feet off his broomstick which then got destroyed. When? Just after I called Spark away from him.

And Draco is pissed off at Blaise. I don't really want to go into that bit.

Two weeks before end of term, the rain cleared up and everyone was greeted by a definite layer of sparkling silver frost. The teachers had already started with the Christmas decorations, Professor Flitwicks' classroom decorated with lights that turned out to be actual fairies. Everyone was discussing plans for the holidays. Almost everyone seemed to be going somewhere, except Harry and I, who had nowhere to go. Thankfully, Hermione and Ron were staying behind.

To everyone's' delight, another Hogsmeade trip was planned, the last weekend of term. But of course, I couldn't go.

I couldn't find Harry either. I sighed, going out to the grounds, going to my tree. And this time I checked the branches for boys. It was all clear. I sat down, stretching out, looking at the lake between the branches. It was a cold grey, but still didn't look bad somehow. I stared into space in that general direction for a while, until I heard a branch snap behind me. I jumped, turning around, but it was just a big black dog.

"Oh, hello." I murmured, as to not scare it away. I held out my hand for it to sniff. Feeling playful, I shifted. I loved my fox shape. I bounced up, to play. The dog started, backing away slightly, before nosing at me. Then it began shimmering itself. And in a moment Sirius Black was standing where the dog was, pointing his wand at me.

**Harrys' POV**

I don't remember how I got back into Honeydukes' cellar, or back to the school. But the return trip seemed to take no time, his head pounding with his newfound information. No one had ever told me, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Mr Weasley, Cornelius Fudge, no one mentioned it. No one had even mentioned that my parents were dead because their best friend had betrayed them. Ron and Hermione watched me all through dinner, walking with me backup to the common room. But I left them there, sneaking up to the dorm, finding the photo album Hagrid had given me. I found him in the picture of my parents wedding, laughing, my dads' best man. I sat there, staring at the picture until I heard footsteps on the stairs. I snapped the book shut, pushing it under my pillow. Rons' head appeared around the corner.

"Harry? Professor McGonagall wants to see you. Apparently it's urgent."

Ron and Hermione escorted me to Professor McGonagalls' office, where we hovered outside nervously after knocking.

"Potter. Good. Oh, and Miss Granger and Mr Weasley too. You'd better all come in." She was obviously flustered, a few wisps of hair escaping her always-perfect bun. It was obviously _really_ bad.

"Erm, well, I don't know how to break this to you ... it's your sister, Mr Potter."

Ron and I scowled, and Hermione looked worried. "What's Malfoy done to her now, Professor?" I asked, furious with that slimy git. He hurt my sister enough last year, he didn't need to add this year to his list of what I'm going to pay him back one day.

"Mr Malfoy? No, no, no, you misunderstand. I'm sure Mr Malfoy has nothing to do with this ..."

"Professor?" If it wasn't Malfoy, then what? I hadn't seen Spark, so it couldn't be that bad. Or could Spark be in danger too?

Behind me, Ron and Hermione gasped.

"What?" I asked, zoning back in. Professor McGonagall looked at me disapprovingly, then worriedly.

"I said you sister is missing, Mr Potter."


	10. Chapter 10: Professor Lupin

**Chapter** **10**

Just perfect. Just what I needed. Made my day, y'know?

I just woke up in a cage.

As if being stuck inside my room during summer break isn't enough ... now I'm caged in the school year too. And my memory is failing; I think ... I remember meeting a big black dog, which then turned into Sirius Black ... oh ... oh great. I was well and truly screwed now.

So ... being kidnapped isn't fun, especially not with my wand sitting across the other side of the room, in sight, out of reach. Just to make this all so much better for me. And Spark was in a cage, just out of reach of mine, watching me.

'_You okay?_' he asked me, tilting his head to the left. Hmm, he always did that when asking a question. Funny thing to notice in a time like this.

'_Peachy._' I replied sarcastically. '_I just woke up in a _cage_, of course I'm freaking okay._'

'_We have to get out._' Spark remarked, watching me.

'_No shit-_' I started replying sarcastically. He cut me off though. He cut me off ... I was shocked into silence.

'Not_ just for us, stupid, what will your brother think will have happened?_' he paused frustratingly.

'_He'll think its Draco's' fault._' he continued. My eyes widened, for he was right. Harry would blame Draco, which would end in disaster, need I explain how?

Frantically, I looked around. We were caged in an extremely shabby room; everything looked like an animal had been at it, but years ago. There was so much dust around; a thick, grey layer of it was everywhere, except parts of the floor and a scratched four poster bed, which were obviously the areas in use. Not all were human footprints either ... there were some paw prints as well. The blasted animagus, no one warned us about that, at school.

_But do they know?_ I wondered. As and animagi, you had to be registered with the Ministry, but I wasn't. What if he was unregistered too?

Just thinking of the devil, however, Sirius Black walked into the room, as a human-shape now.

"Awake now, are we?" he said to me. "Interesting pet you have there. And an animagus too, better than I was in third year."

I glared at him. "Let me out."

"Sorry Amy, no can do. It wouldn't have for you to go blabbing to Dumbledore about where I am now would it?" he looked at me closely. "Or anyone else."

"How do you know my name? And why am I here in the first place? I couldn't have _blabbed_ before you brought me here." I glared at him, kneeling in my cage, gripping the bars.

"I've known you for a long time, Amy Scarlett Potter. And you're here as bait." He grinned wolfishly- doggishly? -at me.

"Bait?" I asked suspiciously. Sirius Black nodded, pacing over to the window. The sun was starting to set, sinking behind the castle. Without warning, he turned and strode back out the door, down the stairs.

"Come back!" I called after him, rattling my cage in frustration. "Let me out, you bastard!" be he was gone.

About half an hour possibly, for I had no way of telling the time, about half an hour later, Sirius returned, still human, and dragging Ron by one arm. He looked in pain, one arm had a large, canine bite in it, and one of his legs looked broken. His eyes widened at seeing me in my cage though.

"Amy!" he called out, wincing as Sirius pushed him onto the four poster bed.

"Ron! What- what are you doing here?" I pressed up against the bars on the bed-side of the cage.

"He-" Ron nodded at Sirius, who stood by the door, leaning against the wall, watching us, "-kidnapped me. Hermione found Scabbers at Hagrids, and he got loose on the way back— went crazy. He bit me, even, see?" Ron showed me his hand, which did indeed have a bite mark. "Then this huge black dog showed up, and dragged me here, and it was him." Ron glared at Sirius. Hermione's orange cat, Crookshanks, entered then, rubbing Sirius' leg as he trotted over to the bed where he jumped up, and began to purr. Ron shifted away from the cat, and moaned in pain as he jolted his leg.

"Ron— are you okay?" Hermione and Harry had followed Crookshanks in, and rushed over to the bed.

"Amy, why are you here?"

"It wasn't Malfoy?"

"Where's the dog?"

"Not a dog," Ron moaned, gritting his teeth. 'Harry, it's a trap,, you shouldn't be here-"

"What-"

"_He's_ the dog-" Ron looked imploringly at me. "He's an animagus ..."

With obvious difficulty, Ron pointed over Harry's shoulder. The door closed with a snap, and Sirius Black stepped out from the shadows.

"_Expelliarmus!_"

Harry's and Hermione's wands shot out of their hands, high in the air, and he caught them, already holding Ron's wand, and picking mine up off the beaten dresser. Then he took a step closer, his dark eyes fixed on Harry.

'I thought you'd come to help your friend," he paused, looking at me. "And you're sister. Your father would have done the same for me. Brave of you, not to run for a teacher."

Harry started forward, fists clenched, but both Hermione and Ron grabbed his arms.

"If you want to kill Harry, you'll have to kill us too." Ron stated, glaring at him, though pale and swaying where he sat.

"There'll only be one murder tonight." Sirius Black grinned widely, watching them.

"Why's that?" Harry spat at him, trying to pull free of Hermione and Ron. "Didn't care last time, did you? Didn't mind slaughtering all those muggles to get at Pettigrew ... gone soft in Azkaban, have you?"

"Harry!" Hermione reprimanded him. "Be quiet, please!"

"He killed my mum and dad!" Harry yelled, breaking free of Hermione and Ron, and lunging at Sirius, who didn't raise any of the wands he held. Harry grabbed one of his wrists, forcing the wands away, punching Sirius with his other hand. Hermione screamed as they tumbled into the wall, and I threw myself against the bars of my cage. Sirius' free hand clasped around Harry's throat, squeezing. Crookshanks, gone unnoticed had brought me the key that had fallen off the dresser, where it was next to my wand. I struggled to unlock my cage as Hermione leaped forward and kicked Sirius, and Ron threw himself at the wands, which clattered against the floor and rolled away. Harry made a grab for his wand, but so did Crookshanks, Harry grabbing his wand and kicking at the cat, causing him to hiss and spit.

"Move!" Harry called to Hermione and Ron, coming to stand over Sirius, wand pointed at his chest. Sirius laughed.

"Are you going to kill me, Harry?" he looked in pretty bad shape, bleeding, and bruised.

"You killed my parents." Harry retorted, voice shaking.

"I don't deny it." He said quietly. "But if you knew the whole story-"

"The whole story? You sold them to Voldemort, that's all I need to know!"

"You've got to listen to me," he said, urgency entering his voice. "You don't understand ..."

A silence fell, Harry refusing to move, wand pointed at Sirius Black, who lay on the floor. A loud click broke that silence, as my cage door opened, and I unlocked Sparks' cage too, grabbing my wand off the floor. Crookshanks crawled over to Sirius, curling up on his chest over his heart, where Harry was pointing his wand. Sirius blinked, trying to push the cat off, but the cat didn't budge, looking up at Harry with his yellow eyes.

More silence, everyone was still. Then a new sound broke the silence-

Muffled steps coming up the stairs-

"We're up here!" Hermione suddenly screamed out. "Here, Sirius Black, quick!"

The door burst open in a shower of red sparks and Professor Lupin hurtled into the room, wand at the ready.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Lupin shouted, catching everyone's wands as again they left their owners hands. He looked at Sirius. "Where is he?"

Harry looked at Professor Lupin in shock. I was pretty confused too.

Sirius Black remained motionless, then raised his hand and pointed at Ron. Ron, who looked as confused and Harry and I ... and Hermione too.

"But then ... why hasn't he shown himself until now? Unless-" Professor Lupin's eyes grew wide. "-he was the one ... you switched ... without telling?"

Very slowly, Sirius Black nodded.

"Professor Lupin-" Harry started loudly, trailing off as the teacher in question pulled Sirius Black to his feet, embracing him tightly.

"I don't believe it!" Hermione screamed, outraged. "You– you and him-"

"Hermione, calm down-"

"I didn't tell anyone! I covered up for you, and-"

"Hermione, listen to me, please!" Professor Lupin shouted. "I can explain-"

"I trusted you!" Harry shouted at him. "And all this time you've been his friend!"

"You're wrong; I haven't been his friend for twelve years now ... let me explain ..."

"No!" Hermione interrupted. "Harry don't trust him, he's been helping Black get into the castle– he wants you dead too–_ he's a werewolf!_"

There was a ringing silence, in which Spark beat his wings angrily.

Lupin looked remarkably calm. "Only one out of three there, Hermione. I haven't been helping Sirius, and I certainly don't want Harry dead, but – but I won't deny I'm a werewolf." He paused, continuing with effort. "How long have you known?"

"Ages. Since I did Professor Snape's essay ..."

"He'll be delighted." Professor Lupin remarked coolly. "He set that essay hoping someone would realise what my symptoms meant. Did you check the lunar chart and realise I was always ill at the full moon? Or did you realise that the boggart changed into the moon when it saw me?"

"Both." Hermione whispered.

Lupin forced a laugh. "You're the cleverest witch of your age I've ever met, Hermione."

"I'm not." Hermione whispered. "If I'd been a bit cleverer, I'd have told everyone what you are!"

"But they already knew." I whispered, watching Professor Lupin. He nodded at me.

"The staff does, at any rate."

"Dumbledore hired you when he knew you were a werewolf?" Ron gasped. "Is he mad?"

"Some of the staff thought so." Lupin replied. "He had to work very hard to convince certain teachers that I'm trustworthy-"

'_Snape.'_ I thought, and Spark agreed.

"And he was wrong!" Harry yelled. "All this time you've been helping him-"

"I have _not _been helping Sirius!" Lupin interjected. "If you give me half a chance, I'll explain. Here," he separated our wands and tossed them back to us, before sheathing his own. "Now you're armed, and I'm not. Now will you listen?"

Professor Lupin explained how he'd followed up using the Marauders Map, the map the twins had shown me the previous year. How he thought it malfunctioning when he saw impossibility ... how Ron's rat, Scabbers, was an animagus, by the name of Peter Pettigrew.


	11. Chapter 11: Wormtail

**Chapter Eleven**

"You're both mental."

"Ridiculous." Hermione said in a weak voice.

"Peter Pettigrew is dead!" said Harry. He pointed at Sirius Black. "He killed him, twelve years ago."

Sirius growled. "I meant to. "But little Peter got the better of me. Not this time though." He lunged at Scabbers, and Ron yelled with pain as Sirius' weight fell on his broken leg.

'Sirius, no!" Lupin ordered, stepping forwards and dragging him away from Ron. "Wait. You can't do it just like that, we need to explain."

"Explain what?" I asked. It seemed pretty straight forward.

"We can explain afterwards." Sirius snarled, still trying to reach Scabbers, who was squealing and trying to fight free.

"You owe Harry and Amy the truth." Lupin snarled back. Sirius stopped struggling, though he still watched Scabbers with a terrifying intensity.

"Alright, tell them what you want. But make it quick, I want to commit the murder I was imprisoned for ..."

Ron tried to stand up, but Professor Lupin raised his wand again, pointing it at the still-struggling rat. "You're going to hear me out, Ron. Just keep a tight hold on Peter while you listen, okay?"

"He's not Peter he's Scabbers!" Ron yelled, trying to stuff the rat in question into his pocket again, unsuccessfully.

Harry turned to Lupin, frowning. "There were witnesses who saw Pettigrew die. A whole street full of them-"

"They didn't see what they thought they saw!" Sirius interjected angrily.

"Everyone thought Sirius killed Peter." agreed Professor Lupin. "I believed it myself, until I saw the map tonight. Because the Marauder's Map never lies ... Peter's alive."  
"But, Professor Lupin, Scabbers can't be Pettigrew. It just can't be true."

"Why can't it be true?" he replied, as calmly as if she had pointed out a flaw in an experiment with grindylows.

"Because-" Hermione nervously glanced at me before continuing. "Because people would know if Peter Pettigrew had become an animagus. We did animagi in class with Professor McGonagall. And I looked them up when I did my homework– the Ministry keeps tabs on witches and wizards who can become animals; there's a register showing what animal they become, and their markings and things."

Ah. That was it. I was unregistered, but I didn't point this out.

"There have only been seven animagi this century, and Pettigrew wasn't on the list-" Hermione continued, but Lupin started laughing.

"Right again, Hermione! But the Ministry never knew there used to be three unregistered animagi running around Hogwarts."

I coughed guiltily. So I wasn't the first, which was hopeful. Ron and Harry glanced at me half amused.

"If you're going to tell them the story, get a move on, Remus. I've waited twelve years, I won't wait much longer."

Professor Lupin went on to tell us how he was the reason this shack had a reputation for being haunted, how the whomping willow was planted on top of the entrance to the tunnel which was built _because_ Professor Lupin had attended Hogwarts, so the other students would be safe from the monster that roamed their grounds. How even though transforming each month was painful, he was happy, because he had friends; Sirius Black, Peter Pettigrew, and of course, James Potter.

And how those three friends had learnt, over the process of _three years_ to become animagi when they found out that their friend was a werewolf, and how they accompanied him each month, free of danger as a werewolf would hunt people, not animals. How they slipped out of the Shrieking Shack, and roamed the grounds and village, how they got so familiar with Hogwarts that they wrote the Marauder's Map, and signed it with their nicknames. Professor Lupin—Moony, Sirius Black—Padfoot, James Potter—Prongs, and Peter Pettigrew...

Wormtail.

The name struck me like a bell, and in horror I looked at the rat that Ron was holding. The rat that had been spying on me all year.

"What sort of animal-" Harry began, but Hermione cut him off.

"That was still really dangerous! What if you'd given them the slip and bitten somebody?"

"The thought still haunts me, and there were many near misses." Professor Lupin admitted heavily. "We were young and thoughtless. Impressed by our own cleverness. I still feel guilty for betraying Dumbledore's trust. He admitted me to Hogwarts when no other headmaster would have done so."

He told us why he hadn't told Dumbledore about Sirius Black being an animagi ... and therefore able to enter the school grounds at will. And how Professor Snape was right, which startled everyone, even Sirius, who removed his eyes from Scabbers—_Wormtail_—for a moment to stare at Professor Lupin. Explained the joke Sirius played on him, which is why he disliked Professor Lupin so very much.

And from the wall behind Lupin, said potions teacher removed Harry's Invisibility Cloak, sneering and pointing his wand directly at Lupin.

Hermione screamed, Harry jumped, as did Sirius, and Spark hissed in fright.

"A very useful cloak you have, Potter, I thank you." Professor Snape dropped it to the ground at his feet, and glanced at me. "And I'm disappointed to see you in this, Amy, though I am pleased you weren't murdered or anything after you went missing."

Harry, Ron and Hermione choked a bit on this.

"Two more for Azkaban tonight ... Dumbledore never believed me when I said you were helping him, but now I have the proof ..."

"Severus, you're making a mistake—you haven't heard the whole story-"

"Silence!" Professor Snape shouted, and with a bang ropes twisted around Professor Lupin's wrists, ankles and mouth, and he fell to the floor. An unfortunate spell Draco had used on me once...

'_Not the time to think of that._' Spark snapped me out of my thoughts, abruptly bringing me back to the present, Harry standing in front of the door, barring the way for Professor Snape, who had levitated Professor Lupin and looked as if he wanted to pass by.

Furious, Harry raised his wand, and I saw Hermione and Ron do the same, without even thinking.

"_Expelliarmus!_" they yelled. There was a blast like an explosion and Professor Snape was lifted from his feet and slammed into the back wall, unconscious. His wand was lying on the bed next to Crookshanks. Hermione was mumbling something under her breath, and looked a little wild. Sirius untied Professor Lupin who rubbed his wrists, wincing.

"Thank you, Harry." He said.

"I'm still not saying I believe you." Harry retorted.

"Then it's time we offered you proof." Sirius said, stepping over to Ron. "You, boy, give me the rat, now."

Ron's response was to clutch Scabbers tighter to him. "Come off it." He said weakly."Are you trying to say you broke out of Azkaban just to get your hands on Scabbers? Say Pettigrew could turn into a rat," he glanced at Hermione for support, frowning. "There are millions or rats, how's he supposed to know which one he's after if he was locked up?"

"That's a fair question." Professor Lupin agreed. Sirius pulled out a crumpled piece of paper, which he smoothed flat and held up.

It was the photograph of the Weasley family on holiday, the previous summer, and there on Ron's shoulder was Scabbers.

"His front paw-"

"What about it?" Ron asked defiantly.

"He's got a toe missing." Sirius replied shortly.

"Of course," Lupin breathed. "So simple—so brilliant—he cut it off himself, didn't he?"

"Just before he transformed. When I cornered him, he yelled for the whole street to hear that I'd betrayed Lily and James. Then, before I could curse him, he blew the street apart with his wand behind his back, killed everyone within twenty feet of himself—and sped down the sewer."

"Didn't you ever hear, Ron?" Lupin asked curiously. "The biggest bit of Peter they found was his finger."

They continued their story, but I stopped listening. Wormtail ... Wormtail here, spying on me. He would have killed Scabbers, and replaced him. Just to spy on me. But then with Sirius Black loose ... all his plans backfired.

"Enough of this." Professor Lupin ordered, with a steely note in his voice. "There's one way to prove it. Ron, _give me the rat._"

"What are you going to do with him?" Ron asked warily.

"Force him to show himself. If he really is a rat, it won't hurt him."

Ron hesitated, but then handed Scabbers to Professor Lupin. I stepped back, worried. Scabbers began to writhe and squeak, fighting more.

"Read, Sirius?"

He had already retrieved Snape's wand from the bed, nodding. "Together?" he asked quietly.

"On the count of three," Lupin replied. "One – two – three!"

A flash of blue-white light erupted in the room, and for a moment, Scabbers was frozen in midair, twisting madly, before falling, and then...

Next moment, Wormtail was standing where Scabbers had been, cringing and wringing his hands, cowering to the others. Typically Wormtail.

And then his eyes met mine, and I knew I was in trouble.


	12. Chapter 12: The True Story

**AN: It's been a while, sorry guys, but school and all, you know? Holidays right now, I'll try and get another chapter up before it finishes! Thankyou to all my favourite story-ers and favourite author-ers, and thankyouthankyouthankyou to my wonderful reviewers! You guys keep me going =)**

**Disclaimer:** I know a lot of this chapter, and the last, and probably the next are copied, but I don't own it, unfortunately, and I don't make any moneys from it either, it all belongs to the marvellous J.K. Rowling.

**Chapter Twelve:**

"Well, hello, Peter. Long time no see." Lupin remarked casually, as if this were an everyday occurrence.

"S-Sirius ... R-Remus … my friends, my old friends ..." Wormtail squeaked. He glanced around nervously, as Sirius raised his wand arm again.

"We've been having a little chat, Peter, about what happened the night Lily and James died. You might have missed the finer points while you were squeaking around there on the bed-"

"Remus, you don't believe him, do? He tried to kill me!" Wormtail gasped.

"So we heard." Lupin cut him off, more coldly. "I'd like to clear up one or two little matters with you, if you'd be so-"

"He's come to try and kill me again! He killed Lily and James, and now he's going to kill me, you've got to help me please!" Wormtail shrieked, pointing at Sirius with his middle finger, his first finger being missing.

Black gave him a death stare. Harry, Hermione, Ron and I glanced at each other nervously.

"No one's going to try and kill you until we've sorted a few things our."

"Sorted things out?" Wormtail looked about desperately for an escape route, his eyes fixing on me again. "I knew he'd come after me! I knew he's be back for me!"

"You knew Sirius was going to break out of Azkaban? When nobody has ever done it before?" Lupin frowned.

"He's got dark powers the rest of us can only dream of! He Who Must Not Be Named must have taught him a few tricks!"

Sirius began to laugh, but it was a hollow sound, devoid of any real humour, or happiness. "Voldemort, teach me tricks?"

Wormtail-and I, I must admit-flinched at the mention of his name. I saw Lupin glance at me, frowning still. Oh dear.

"What, scared to hear your old masters name?" Black taunted. "I don't blame you, his lot aren't very happy with you, are they?"

"Don't know … what you mean ..." Wormtail muttered, shining with sweat.

"You haven't been hiding from _me_ for twelve years, you've been hiding from Voldemorts old supporters! I heard things in Azkaban, Peter … they all think you're dead. Or you'd be answering to them. Voldemort went to the Potters on your information, where he met his downfall. They think the doublecrosser doublecrossed them. And if those that are still out there dot wind that you were still alive, Peter ..."

"You-you don't believe this-this madness, Remus-"

"I must admit, Peter, I have difficulty in seeing why an innocent man would spend twelve years as a rat."

"Innocent, but scared! If Voldemorts supporters were after me, it would be because I put one of their best men in Azkaban-the spy, Sirius Black!"

"How dare you." Sirius growled, his face twisting in anger. "I, a spy for Voldemort? When did I ever sneak around people who were stronger and more powerful than myself? But you, Peter, you always liked big friends who'd look after you, didn't you? It used to be us … me and Remus … and James ..."

Wormtail squeaked and wiped his face. "Me, a spy … must be-out of your mid … never … how can you say such-"

"They made you Secret Keeper on my suggestion. I thought it would be the perfect plan. Voldemort would come after me, would never dream of going for a weak and talentless thing like you." Sirius hissed so venemously that Wormtail stepped back. Closer to me. Oh, oh, no …

"It must've been the finest moment of your miserable little life when you told Voldemort you could hand him the Potters."

Wormtail was babbling now, glancing between the door, the windows, the door …

"Professor Lupin? Can-can I say something?" Hermione ventured timidly.

"Certainly, Hermione."

"Well, Scabbers, I mean, this—this man has been sleeping in Harry's dormitory for three years. How come he never tried to hurt Harry before now?"

"There!" Wormtail shrieked shrilly, wheeling to face Hermione. "You see, Remus? I have never hurt Harry! Why should I?"

"Because you never did anything unless you could see what was in it for you. You'd wait until Voldemort is the biggest bully in the playground before you went back to him. Why commit a murder right under Albus Dumbledore's nose for a wreck of a wizard who's said to be half dead and has lost all power? Why else did you find a wizarding family to take you in? Keeping an ear out for news, weren't you? Just in case your old protector regained strength and it was safe to rejoin him." Sirius spat. Wormtail stood there, mouth agape. He seemed to have lost the ability to talk.

"Er-Mr Black-Sirius?" Hermione said timidly. Sirius jumped and stared at her.

"If you don't mind me asking, how did you get out Azkaban, if you didn't use Dark Magic?"

Sirius explained how he got past the dementors by transforming … dementors powers didn't work on animals. I tucked that information away for safety, and how he never, never betrayed our parents. I had believed him from the start … I knew Wormtail, but Harry nodded. He believed him now.

Wormtail howled, as id Harry's nod had been his death sentence. He fell to his knees, begging, "Sirius, I'm your friend-you wouldn't … Remus, you don't believe this, please ..."

Sirius and Professor Lupin started rolling up their sleeves. "Shall we kill him together?" Black asked.

"You wouldn't, you won't … Ron, Ron, haven't I been a good friend? A good pet? You won't let them kill me, you're on my side, aren't you?" he begged.

Ron was staring at him in revulsion. "I let you sleep in my bed!"

"Kind boy, kind master … you won't let them do it, I was your rat, I was a good pet ..."

"If you made a better rat than human it's not much to boast about, Peter." Sirius growled harshly.

"Sweet girl ... clever girl … you won't let them, help me!" Wormtail turned to Hermione, but she backed against the wasll, looking horrified. He turned to me and I flinched back.

"Amy, Amy please, you can't let them …" I closed my eyes. I couldn't save him, but if I didn't ...

"Harry …" he whispered desperately, "Harry, James wouldn't have wanted me killed, he would have understood .. he would have shown me mercy …

"He was taking over everywhere," Wormtail continued to Black and Lupin, "You don't understand! He would have killed me, Sirius ..."

"THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE DIED!" Sirius roared. "DIED RATHER THAN BETRAYED YOUR FRIENDS AS WE WOULD HAVE DONE FOR YOU!"

"You should have realised," Lupin finished up quietly, "that if Voldemort didn't kill you, we would."

They were standing shoulder to shoulder, wands raised. Wormtail turned to me, half pleading half ordering me in his gaze. I took a step forward, Spark digging his talons into my shoulders, when Harry yelled out.

"No!" He ran forward, placing himself inbetween Wormtail and the two men. "You can't kill him."

Both Black and Lupin looked staggered.

"H—Harry, this man is the reason you have no parents. This vermin would have seen you die without turning a hair. His own skin means more to him then your whole family."

"I know." Harry panted. "We'll take him up to the castle, though. We'll hand him over to the dementors. He can go to Azkaban … just don't kill him."

No one moved or made a sound except Wormtail who was wheezing and clutching his chest-and Spark rustling his wings disgruntedly. Sirius and Professor Lupin lowered their wands.

"You're the only person who has the right to decide, Harry, but think … think what he did." Sirius said quietly.

"He can go to Azkaban." Harry repeated. "If anyone deserves that place, it's him."

"Very welll. Stand aside, Harry." Lupin raised his wand, but Harry hesitated.

"I'm going to tie up, that's all, I swear."

A moment later, Wormtail was wriggling on the floor, bound and gagged, and Crookshanks was leading us all out of the room, his tail held high.


	13. Chapter 13: Werewolf, remember?

**A/N: hey, hey guys, guess what! New chapter!**

**I'm writing, I promise. But really, I have exams and have had one helluva year with applying to tertiary and what not. Good news, I'm in, and I'm on study leave (which means I _should_ be studying, but instead are writing for you. Please, enjoy. I am nearly done with this story.**

**Chapter Thirteen**

Up ahead, Sirius and Harry were talking, and everyone else was making their way down the tunnel as best as they could. It was dark, and I kept tripping over rocks, trying to keep up. I was kind of a little shocked, a lot had just happened. And Wormtail …

"-RUN!" Sirius yelled. I blinked out of my thoughts, looking forward. Professor Lupin was shaking, and his body contorting.

'_Werewolf, remember? Run!_' Spark mentally shouted, beating his wings on my shoulder. I glanced at the others; Harry was pointing his wand at Wormtail … who was now free. He winked at me, looking around at my brother and friends. "See you _around_, Potter girl." He snarled, before transforming, and disappearing into the night. He was free. Well that was … good …

And then Harry and Hermione were running into the forest, leaving Ron apparently unconscious and Professor Snape unconscious, Sirius and Professor Lupin disappeared. Oh geez, what was I meant to do?

Hesitantly, I shook Professor Snape, hoping he'd wake. Luckily, he did, muttering darkly about the other three, my brother and friends, who were reckless young rule breakers and deserved whatever came to them. Glancing around briefly, he strode off towards the lake.

"Potter," he called over his shoulder, "Get Weasley to the hospital wing. I'll go find your wretched brother and that smartass girl."

"Yes Professor." I called back, though he made no motions that he'd heard me. Sighing, I turned, looking down at Ron lying in the grass, his face a mask of pain. I knew he'd broken his leg, but wasn't sure of the rest of the damage. Gingerly, I knelt by my red-headed friend, levering him off the ground, slinging his arm around my shoulders. I was under no illusion I could carry him to the castle, let alone the hospital wing, but assist him, I possibly could.

"Can you walk? Even a little?" I asked him, as he groaned in pain. Finally, I got him upright, leaning heavily on my shoulders, which I could feel protesting.

"I think … so." He muttered through clenched teeth. "Are you okay though? He didn't hurt you or anything?"

I stared at him blankly for a moment, before recalling the past few days. So much had happened this night …

"No, I'm fine; I'm not hurt at all." I hurriedly assured him, aware of my disheveled personage. I looked down, and with horror realised that my shirt was worn, and my sleeves going vaguely see through. Black lines were beginning to show through the threadbare sleeves. I pressed my arm to my side and looked back up at Ron, taking a few steps forward, helping him hobble along. Making slow progress, and straining our ears for any noise to indicate what was happening, Ron and I made it up to the castle, pausing for breath on the front steps. Now, just to the hospital wing …

"—Amy?" I heard Ron call my name, and snapped back to the present. "Can you send Spark ahead? I'm not sure I can walk much further."

Dimly I registered he was white as a sheet, and his eyes unnaturally bright. I nodded, and looked at Spark, wordlessly. He could understand speech, after all. Sighing mentally, he took off, winging into the dark castle interior. Sagging under the strain, I let Ron slide off my shoulder to sit on the steps in the main lobby, all but falling down next to him. Exhaustion was kicking in, and I was barely conscious by the time Madam Pomfrey arrived with a pair of floating stretchers. Realising one was for me I stood, teetering for a moment before regaining my balance.

"I can walk!" I said hurriedly, Madam Pomfrey glaring at me. "Really, I'm just tired."

"Very well then, Miss Potter. But you should rest the night in the hospital wing anyway. I'll get you some sleeping draught." with a swish-and-flick of her wand, she levitated Ron, laying him to rest on the stretcher before starting off towards her wing, muttering about students taking unnecessary risks and ending up in her care. I smiled softly at Spark, before trotting off to follow the bustling nurse.


	14. Chapter 14: Endings

**A/N: You know, I thought I'd be glad to get this story over and done with. Hah! Kinda can't wait to start the next one now.**

**Found, as it shall be titled, was the one I originally planned first, and my most well thought through plot.**

**Thank you, all, for your favourites and reviews (especially!) you've kept me going. So I'll let you get on with it. The final chapter of Lost!**

**Chapter Fourteen:**

I woke with a horrible feeling in the pit of my stomach. Like those cramps some of us tend to get, but worse. Madam Pomfrey was hovering over Harry and Hermione, who had obviously come in during the night, and she was feeding them more chocolate. They glanced at each other, then at Ron, who was sleeping, and at me, just sitting up. Suddenly, a roar echoed from a floor above them—or so it sounded like.

"What was that?" Madam Pomfrey asked, glancing around. Angry voices and footsteps came into our hearing, and we all stared at the door.

"Must have disapparated—should have left someone in the room with him—" an unfamiliar voice said.

"HE DIDN'T DISAPPARATE! YOU CAN'T APPARATE _OR_ DISAPPARATE INSIDE THE CASTLE!" Professor Snape's voice came clearly through the thick door.

"—be reasonable—locked up—" the voice came again, very close. Then the door of the hospital wing burst open as Professor Snape, Professor Dumbledore, and a grey-haired man entered the wing, storming, strolling and hurrying respectively.

"OUT WITH IT POTTER!" Professor Snape screamed. "WHAT DID YOU DO?"

"Severus! Control yourself! These students are recovering!" Madam Pomfrey stood in his warpath indignantly.

"RECOVERING? THEY HELPED HIM ESCAPE, I KNOW IT! HE DID IT, I KNOW HIM, HE DID IT—"

"That will do, Severus. Think for a moment, this door has been locked since I left the ward ten minutes ago. Good Madam, have theses students left their beds?"

"Of course no. I've been with them ever since you left, Headmaster." the nurse bristled in front of Professor Snape, who was seething, glancing between the two other men. Abruptly, he turned and stormed out the door. A flurry of talk between the grey-haired man—a ministry worker (perhaps the minister of magic himself?)—and Professor Dumbledore ensued, about the stability of Professor Snape, the escape of Sirius Black along with the hippogriff Buckbeak, and the removal of the dementors, before Ron groaned as he woke, and the men left, deep in discussion. Madam Pomfrey was already locked away in her office.

"What happened?" Ron asked, sitting up and rubbing his head groggily. "Harry? Where's Sirius? Where's Lupin? What's going on?"

I looked between Harry and Hermione, wondering much the same thing. They looked at each other, before Harry shrugged.

"You explain." he said, reaching for the chocolate. Hermione reached under her shirt, bringing out a little gold hourglass on a gold chain.

"This? It's a time turner, and something I've been using to get to all my classes. Dumbledore told us to use it, to go back three hours—"

"Go back in time?" Ron asked a frown crossing his face. Impatiently—as always—Hermione nodded, before continuing.

"Harry and I went back three hours—sorry, but you guys were still unconscious—and snuck down to Hagrid's hut, freeing Buckbeak. We waited around for a while, in the forest, until after all the action, and Sirius was locked up. We gave him Buckbeak, and he escaped, we came back, and chaos has happened since." she paused, looking at Harry. "But we couldn't let Sirius get the Dementor's kiss. We broke a million school rules—"

"Hah, a million—again." Harry interrupted with a snort.

"A million, again," Hermione agreed, "But he got free. Unfortunately, so did Wormtail..." She trailed off, finishing her story and looking at me. Ron followed her gaze, but Harry was too busy with his chocolate. Ignoring their questioning looks—once again—I lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling far above.

Wormtail got free. Was that good or bad for me? The Dark Lord would not have appreciated the loss of his minion, so that was good at least. But what dirt did Wormtail have to pile onto me, what actions would he repeat to his—our—master? I sighed, registering the heat which signaled the onset of summer, and summer vacation. Another summer for me to survive.

We left the hospital wing the afternoon of the following day to find a near-deserted castle. The heat which had plagued me last night lay like a blanket over the castle, and the end of exams meant that everyone was taking another Hogsmeade visit.

Sitting near the lake, Harry and Hermione talked about the previous night's events, and Ron wondered with them where Sirius and Buckbeak were now.

A shadow fell across them and they looked up to see a red eyed Hagrid, mopping his face with a handkerchief.

"Know I shouldn' feel happy, after wha' happened las' night, Black escapin' again, an' everything—but guess what?"

"What?" the others said, masking their grins.

"Beaky! He escaped! Bin celebratin' all night!"

"That's wonderful!" Hermione excliamed, glaring at Ron who looked about to burst.

"Yeah … can't've tied him up properly. I was worried this mornin', mind. Thought he mighta met Professor Lupin, but Lupin says he didn' eat anythin' las' night."

"What?" said Harry quickly.

"Haven' yeh heard?" Hagrid's smile faded a little. "Snape told all the Slytherins … thought everyone'd know by now … he's a werewolf, see—Lupin that is—an' he was loose in the grounds las' nigh'. O' course, he's packin', now."

"Why?" Harry asked alarmed.

"Leavin', isn' he? Resigned firs' think this mornin'. He can' risk it happenin' again."

Harry scrambled up, heading off towards the castle, leaving Ron, Hermione, Hagrid and I near the lake.

As the end of term approached, I heard many different theories about the escape of Sirius Black, and Buckbeak. None of which even came close to the truth. Draco, was furious about Buckbeak especially, and I went out of my way to avoid him for the next week. Hopefully this storm would blow over shortly.

As the summer holidays approached, the atmosphere was cheerful, and the weather perfect, but I for one did not wish to go home. Each night I fretted about what would be lying in wait for me—what Wormtail would have reported—as I lay in my twisted sheets. I passed exams with flying colours, however, and for a while I managed to forget the looming holidays as my Slytherin friends and I laughed and joked the train journey away.


End file.
